New 988 hotline doesn’t currently use geolocation services

CLAIM: Using the new 988 mental health hotline “will automatically route your geolocation information to local authorities.”

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The hotline does not currently have the capability to detect the exact location of a caller, nor does it “automatically” share such information with authorities. Federal officials held a recent forum to discuss the possibility of adding geolocation capabilities to 988 in the future to connect callers with nearby crisis centers and for rare cases of responding to imminent risk.

THE FACTS: The country’s first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline went live on Saturday, as The Associated Press reported. The hotline is designed to connect callers with trained mental health counselors. 

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